Means for preventing accidents in elevators



(No Mode-1.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. A. ROTH an G10. HILTZ.

MEANS POR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN ELEVATORS.

my l. Patented Sep'gl,21,-897E INVENT [IFE-T11" mf? l (No Model.) y I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. A. ROTH 8v G. C. HILTZ. MEANS PoR PREVBNTING ACCIDENTS 1N BLBVATORS.

-WITNEEEE- -INVEN-VDRE? @Mm 7M @M1 www. m f I UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST A. ROTH AND GEORGE C. HILTZ, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,424, dated September 21, 1897. Application filed June l, 1897. Serial No. 638,399. (No model.)

` T @ZZ 107mm, it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUST A. ROTH and GEORGE C. IITLTZ, of the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Means for Preventing Accidents in Elevators, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of this invention is to prevent a person being caught between the upper part of the frame of the door leading to any floor of the building and the iioor of the elevatorcab should such person attempt to leave the cab while the same is in its upward movement, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the description of the said invention which follows reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure l is an exterior front view of an elevator-shaft and its cab provided with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. l, taken on the dotted line @c 0;. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of Fig. l, taken on the dotted line y y. Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of a part of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawings,'A is the elevator-shaft, and B B are the first, second, and third floors of a building. The doors leading from the several floors to the interior of the elevator-shaft are denoted by C.

D is the elevator-cab, which is of ordinary construction.

E is the check-rope, which is manipulated by the elevator attendant to cause the cab to move either in an upward or a downward direction or be stopped.

F is a rope leading from the upper part of the building, where it is secured, downward to the cellar, where it is attached to one end of a pivoted trigger G. This rope passes over a sheave c., and in some cases it may have to pass over several such sheaves to give it the proper direction or lead it to the arm G. The trigger G is pivoted at b to a stand H, erected ou the iioor of the cellar or secured to any convenient stationary object. This stand is shown only in Fig. The stand H has a stationary horizontal shaft c, about which an arm I is'adapted to turn loosely. The said arm carries the pin d, with which the upper end of the trigger G is adapted to engage. (See Fig. l.)

J is a spring coiled around the shaft c and at one end attached to the hub of the arm I and at the other to the said shaft. By turning the arm G in the proper direction a tension is placed upon the spring J, and the arm, if then released, will swing around in the contrary direction.

The free end of the arm I is forked so that in its movement, effected by the resilience of the coiled spring, it will straddle the rope E; and in order that in such motion the rope should be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l and thereby stop the elevator-cab the said rope is provided with a stop e, over which the forked end of the arm I cannot pass. Y

K K are cords attached to one side of the frame of the doors C and extending across the door-opening to the rope F, to which they' are fastened. This connection is shown in Fig. 4.' The position of these cords is one slightly below the upper part of the dooropenings, as shown, and they are drawn tightly, so that when the arm I is under the spring-tension and the trigger G connected to the pin d a slight deflection of any cord will cause the said trigger to be detached from the pin d and allowthe said arm to swing around and effect the upward movement of the check-rope E by the free end of the said arm striking the stop c.

The vertical part of the rope F and the portion of the cords K which are exposed when the doors C are closed are inclosed in casings f, preferably formed of ordinary iron pipes. The vertical and horizontal pipes f do not, however, come together, but stand apart, as shown in Fig. 4, in order that the rope F may be deiiected by tightening the cords K. The exposed parts of the said cords and the rope at their intersection may be covered by plates g, attached in any suitable manner to the ends of the pipes, as shown in Fig. l. A 1

To prepare the apparatus for use, the arm I is turned so as to place a tension on the coiled spring J and the trigger G, connected to the pin d, on the arm I, as shown in Fig. 1.

Should a person endeavor to leave the elevator-cab wh-ile it is moving upward, his head will come into contact with the cord K before the top of the door-frame can strike it, and

IOO

in the deflection of the rope F, caused by the tightening of the cord K, the trigger G will be detached from the pin d on the arm I. As soon as the arm I is free it Will move rapidly, so as to strike the stop e on the check-rope E, and the elevator-cab will be automatically stopped.

/Ve claim as our invention- In combination with the check-rope of an elevator and a stop thereon, a swinging,` arm under spring-tension adapted when released to strike the said stop and suspend the up- 

